Mysuru carries the legacy of many products as a part of its glorious history. The word ‘Mysuru’ is a prefix to several famous products with historic importance such as Silk, Sandal, Masale Dose etc. These are ‘Brands of Mysuru’ in a true sense. Though these are the most famous brands of our own Heritage City, there are many other not-so-known products which carry interesting pieces of history associated with Mysuru. Though these products ruled the market decades ago, most of them are seldom known to this generation. Here are the details of a few such products which carry the brand name of Mysuru.
Kadakola Mat
Kadakola is an industrial area that is located at the outskirts of Mysore which was once famous for the production of mat (Chaape). These mats were stitched and marketed by the localities of Kadakola. History says that the Royal Family of Mysuru was fond of these mats. They preferred Kadakola Chaape over any other mats. But gradually the production of mat diminished due to various reasons – non-availability of raw materials being one among them. Vintage machineries which were used to stitch mats are now idle and filled with dust. Mats are now mostly imported from Tamilnadu and all of them are made from modern machinery. There are only a few people left in Kadakola who know the art of hand-stitching colourful mats.
Mysuru Painting
Mysore Painting is a form of classical South Indian painting that originated in and around Mysore. It was nurtured mostly by the Wodeyars who ruled Mysuru. Experts opine that this type of painting originates back to the Ajanta times. It is said to have been evolved from the paintings that were done during the reign of the Vijayanagar Kings. After the fall of the Vijayanagar empire, the artists migrated to various other places like Mysore, Tanjore etc. Absorbing the local artistic traditions and customs, their painting skills & styles evolved. Mysore paintings are known for their elegance, unique colour combinations and detailing. It has a distinctive look and it takes immense concentration to the detailing in order to create a Mysore Painting.
Mysore Agarbatthi
Mysore Agarbatthi is a variety of incense sticks made using locally available ingredients. The process of making incense sticks was very simple during those days. It was a paste of only natural ingredients mixed with charcoal and other items and rolled onto bamboo sticks. The proportion of mixing was of main importance. Wodeyars of Mysore patronised the production and promotion of these incense sticks. A version of the history says that Mr.T.l.Updhayay from Thirthahalli, Shimoga and Attar Khasim Sahib from Tanjavur started the incense industry in Mysore in 1885. Mysore incense sticks ruled the market for many decades. It was also exported to many countries regularly.
Mysuru Indelible Ink
Mysuru houses the only company in India which is authorised to produce indelible ink that is used in elections to prevent people from voting multiple times. The company called Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited produces indelible ink. This company was started as ‘Mysore Lac and Paints Limited’ during the reign of Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar in 1937 in order to manufacture paints and allied products. It became a public sector company when India gained independence. In 1962, it was selected to manufacture indelible ink, which was first used in the third general election of India. The manufacturing process is a closely guarded secret and is based on a chemical formula devised by the National Physical Laboratory of India.
Nanjanagudu Rasabaale
The Nanjangud Banana, natively called Nanjangud Rasabale is a variety of banana grown especially in Nanjangud Taluk. It is famous for its unique taste and aroma. It was found that the black clay alluvial saline soil found in and around Nanjangud was the reason for the special taste and aroma, giving it a particular geographical identity. Nanjangudu Rasabaale is now registered under geographical indicators under Government of India. It can also be noted that when the ‘One district, One crop’ scheme was introduced by the Government of India, Mysuru was assigned with ‘Tropical Banana’ as its identity crop.
Mysuru Rosewood Inlay
Mysore Rosewood Inlay is a variety of furniture carving that was practiced and implemented by the artisans in Mysore. Rosewood is mainly used in inlay work. However, use of alternative wood/inlay doesn’t imply reduced effort. The work starts with a detailed sketch of the product and then the artisan cuts the relief from various coloured woods with attention to detail. After a chain of processes, wood is fitted on the surface, nailed together, pressed in mechanical presses and finally polished several times. The beauty of Mysore inlay work is in the extent of detailing and intricacy of patterns. History says that Krishna Raja Wodeyar and Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar were the initial patrons of this artwork and hence Mysuru Palace is decorated mostly with this art form. It is also said that Diwan Sir M Visveswaraya, through the current Cauvery Emporium, exported this unique art form across the globe. But the younger generation have shunned away from this profession.
Mysore Ganjifa Card
Ganjifa is the name given to an ancient Indian card game. These cards are traditionally hand-painted. The cards are typically circular although some rectangular decks have been produced. Mysuru Ganjifa was extensively patronised by the Mysore Royal Family – The Wodeyars. The 18 games in the Mysuru Ganjifa Style were set to stories and shlokas from the Hindu Puranas, stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. Ganjifa Raghupathi Bhat is an avid practitioner of Ganjifa Card painting. He had an early induction into the Mysuru Ganjifa miniature style of painting during his studies at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat. He makes all his colours by hand and they are rich in natural minerals and vegetable dyes. He grinds and mixes these natural colours by hand himself. He also uses his own fine brushes including squirrel hair brushes suitable to the Ganjifa painting technique.
Rajamudi Rice
Rajamudi, one of the rarest and the healthiest varieties of red rice is a classic brand of Mysuru. It is said that people who could not pay tax to the Kings of Mysore were asked to pay nutritious Rajamudi rice in lieu of that. Wodeyars, who were well aware of the health benefits of this rice, encouraged farmers who grew Rajamudi rice. This variety of rice is unpolished and comes in a mix of red and brown colour. Though this rice was very popular, it lost out to white rice which stole all the limelight. It has again slowly started to rule the market now as more and more people are becoming aware about its health benefits.